Fabrick Launches Plan for Communities
Fabrick Housing Group has launched a framework aimed at working with other organisations to strengthen communities across the North East and Yorkshire.
The Group’s first social investment strategy aims to provide opportunities for people and places to thrive and sets a framework that will see Fabrick Housing Group start to deliver its key community goals.
However, the Group, which is in close and regular contact with more than 15,000 households across the North East and Yorkshire through its subsidiaries, Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing, believes the best way to make a difference is through a co-ordinated approach with partners.
The key strands of the strategy are:
· Economic inclusion through jobs and training;
· Enhancing initiatives that help residents better access training, skills development and employment opportunities.
· Financial inclusion through tackling poverty;
· Supporting people to access mainstream financial services, advice and information, as well as better financial deals and tariffs.
· Social inclusion through fostering citizenship;
· Supporting the development of cohesive, vibrant and inclusive communities recognised for their strong social capital and interaction.
· Cultural, health and recreational inclusion through;
· Contributing to the creation of places that are alive with accessible cultural and leisure activities.
· Democratic inclusion through community governance and say.
· Listening to residents and acting upon issues together.
While this constitutes Fabrick’s first social investment strategy, it is far from the beginning of the road for the Group, which has already laid strong foundations through Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing, which have continued since the umbrella organisation came into being in April 2008.
The strategy was launched in Middlesbrough today (Thursday, July 2) at a special event attended by key organisations Fabrick hopes to engage with to build a way forward, maximising upon the combined skills and expertise of both the Group and key partners.
Group chair Bob Brady said: “Our residents are no different to anyone else in wanting friendly neighbours, access to good jobs, quality places to relax and unwind, quality schools and health care and all the other things that make a place somewhere you feel you belong and want to live.
“These socio-economic issues impact upon quality of life and equally the performance of our core business and are why the Group has decided to work to make a positive difference within our communities in ways that transcend housing services.
“Our social investment strategy sets out a structured and clear framework for addressing the wider issues that impact upon the success and vitality of the neighbourhoods in which we operate.”
Stephen Bray, head of social investment at Fabrick Housing Group, added: “Our residents know better than anyone what’s needed in order to make their communities work effectively and well and our strategy reflects what residents have said they would like to see us work on.
“Strong strategic and partnership working will be required if our ambition is to be realised. We see little benefit in doing things ourselves directly if they can be better provided elsewhere.”
Barry Keane, vice chair of Fabrick Housing Group, said: “This strategy has been drawn up because we know what challenges we face in helping communities to thrive, but now we must take the exciting step of engaging with key partners to deliver the activity that is needed to tackle these issues on all levels.
“This event has provided the opportunity to talk to those people we want to work with and to start to build upon this strategy.”
However, the Group, which is in close and regular contact with more than 15,000 households across the North East and Yorkshire through its subsidiaries, Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing, believes the best way to make a difference is through a co-ordinated approach with partners.
The key strands of the strategy are:
· Economic inclusion through jobs and training;
· Enhancing initiatives that help residents better access training, skills development and employment opportunities.
· Financial inclusion through tackling poverty;
· Supporting people to access mainstream financial services, advice and information, as well as better financial deals and tariffs.
· Social inclusion through fostering citizenship;
· Supporting the development of cohesive, vibrant and inclusive communities recognised for their strong social capital and interaction.
· Cultural, health and recreational inclusion through;
· Contributing to the creation of places that are alive with accessible cultural and leisure activities.
· Democratic inclusion through community governance and say.
· Listening to residents and acting upon issues together.
While this constitutes Fabrick’s first social investment strategy, it is far from the beginning of the road for the Group, which has already laid strong foundations through Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing, which have continued since the umbrella organisation came into being in April 2008.
The strategy was launched in Middlesbrough today (Thursday, July 2) at a special event attended by key organisations Fabrick hopes to engage with to build a way forward, maximising upon the combined skills and expertise of both the Group and key partners.
Group chair Bob Brady said: “Our residents are no different to anyone else in wanting friendly neighbours, access to good jobs, quality places to relax and unwind, quality schools and health care and all the other things that make a place somewhere you feel you belong and want to live.
“These socio-economic issues impact upon quality of life and equally the performance of our core business and are why the Group has decided to work to make a positive difference within our communities in ways that transcend housing services.
“Our social investment strategy sets out a structured and clear framework for addressing the wider issues that impact upon the success and vitality of the neighbourhoods in which we operate.”
Stephen Bray, head of social investment at Fabrick Housing Group, added: “Our residents know better than anyone what’s needed in order to make their communities work effectively and well and our strategy reflects what residents have said they would like to see us work on.
“Strong strategic and partnership working will be required if our ambition is to be realised. We see little benefit in doing things ourselves directly if they can be better provided elsewhere.”
Barry Keane, vice chair of Fabrick Housing Group, said: “This strategy has been drawn up because we know what challenges we face in helping communities to thrive, but now we must take the exciting step of engaging with key partners to deliver the activity that is needed to tackle these issues on all levels.
“This event has provided the opportunity to talk to those people we want to work with and to start to build upon this strategy.”
